Which mobile networks proved most resilient during Portugal's power outage?
In the midst of a widespread power outage that affected Portugal and Spain on April 28, 2025, MEO's mobile network demonstrated remarkable resilience compared to its competitors, Digi, NOS, and Vodafone.
The power failure was triggered by cascading grid collapses and voltage oscillations, causing severe disruptions to critical infrastructure, including most telecom networks [2][4]. While MEO managed to keep most of its mobile network operational, other operators experienced more extensive outages due to their networks' higher dependency on unstable power sources without adequate backup measures [1][3].
According to a study by Ookla, MEO had the most resilient mobile network during the blackout, with tens of thousands of subscribers likely remaining connected for calls, messages, and data throughout the day [4][5]. In contrast, Digi subscribers were six times more likely to lose service than MEO subscribers, and up to 90% of Digi's subscribers were without mobile coverage for more than 24 hours [1]. Vodafone subscribers were four times more likely to lose service than MEO subscribers, and NOS subscribers were, on average, twice as likely to lose service compared to MEO subscribers [1][3].
Industry analyses of this event highlight that resilience during such blackouts largely depends on network operators' investments in robust backup generators and alternative power supplies, distributed and redundant infrastructure to avoid single points of failure, and advanced monitoring and rapid recovery procedures [4]. MEO apparently had superior implementation of these strategies during the 2025 Iberian blackout, enabling it to provide relatively better mobile service continuity when compared with its competitors [4][5].
The outage on Digi's network exposed critical gaps in redundancy across multiple layers of infrastructure [3]. The less mature network build of Digi in Portugal may have contributed to the issues experienced during the blackout, but this is not addressed in the study by Ookla [1]. The study does not discuss the resilience of Digi's network under normal operating conditions or provide specific details about the impact of the blackout on other Portuguese operators besides MEO, NOS, and Vodafone [1].
In conclusion, MEO's higher resilience was due to better redundancy and backup power infrastructure, enabling it to withstand the unprecedented power grid collapse that affected most of Portugal and Spain on April 28, 2025 [1][2][4][5]. This event serves as a reminder of the importance of robust infrastructure and backup measures for network operators to maintain service during power outages and other disruptions.
- Despite the widespread power outage in Portugal causing severe disruptions to telecom networks, MEO, a Portuguese mobile network operator, showed remarkable resilience compared to competitors like Digi, NOS, and Vodafone, thanks to its investments in robust backup generators and better network infrastructure.
- A study by Ookla revealed that MEO had a resilient mobile network during the blackout, evidenced by tens of thousands of subscribers likely staying connected for calls, messages, and data throughout the day, while Digi subscribers were six times more likely to lose service and up to 90% were without mobile coverage for over 24 hours.
- The financial implications of this blackout could have been more significant for companies heavily dependent on technology such as gadget manufacturers and smartphone retailers in Portugal, had the power outage extended longer due to the lack of resilience in the telecom networks and infrastructure.
